1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a vehicle occupant safety apparatus and, in particular, to an air bag module including a deployment door for covering an opening through which an air bag is inflatable to help protect a vehicle occupant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to inflate an air bag to help protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision. To help protect a front seat passenger of a vehicle, an air bag is typically mounted in the instrument panel of the vehicle, together with an inflator, at a location forward of the occupant's seat. A deployment opening in the instrument panel is covered by a movable deployment door.
The inflator is actuated in the event of a vehicle collision to inflate the air bag through the deployment opening. The deployment door pivots open under the force of the inflating air bag, to enable inflation of the air bag into a position to help protect the vehicle occupant.
If an occupant is in close proximity to the instrument panel when the inflator is actuated, the deployment door can engage the occupant and be blocked from pivoting out of the way of the inflating air bag. The door might then direct the inflating air bag to inflate against the occupant's head and neck, perhaps while moving in an upward direction. This can undesirably increase the loads on the occupant's head and neck.